This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

If i'm Chinese and get an A* in A-level Mandarin,will it count in my offer?

I'm Chinese and can speak fluent mandarin and write in Chinese very well. If i get an A* in a-level mandarin, can i used it in my offer or will universities not count it in my offer?

Reply 1

User570431

15

Original post by Aphalleon

I'm Chinese and can speak fluent mandarin and write in Chinese very well. If i get an A* in a-level mandarin, can i used it in my offer or will universities not count it in my offer?

Yeah it would but tbh I would have learnt another language to show that you can adapt to another one...eg french or german etc, but mandarin is popular due to the finance in China so you should write it down :smile:

Reply 2

speedbird

16

Most top universities will not accept an A level in your first language.

Reply 3

Domenico7

13

Original post by Aphalleon

I'm Chinese and can speak fluent mandarin and write in Chinese very well. If i get an A* in a-level mandarin, can i used it in my offer or will universities not count it in my offer?

Is the Mandarin exam 1st language or 2nd language?
If it's 2nd language then it probably won't look that good because it will most likely be obvious that it's your 1st language.

Reply 4

hothedgehog

16

Write it on your UCAS form but expect an offer which ignores it. It won't do you any harm having the A level but they probably won't include it in any offers you receive.

Reply 5

Domenico7

13

Original post by ellakrystina

I think it'd be a bit unfair if the university did hold it against you. I'm English but that doesn't mean that it would be easy for me to get an A* in A Level English.

A Level English Language is about things like 'reports' and 'theory' for instance - it's building upon a language that you are fluent and capable in.
Where as A Level French is very much still about learning the Language, it's 2nd language.

So if someone who learns 2nd language Chinese, who speaks it as a 1st language is wrong. It's like me going to France and learning 2nd language English and getting an A* when I'm most likely capable of reaching 100%.

The A Level Chinese would only be impressive if it were 1st language, for instance literature or language.

Reply 6

AnonyMatt

15

Original post by ellakrystina

I think it'd be a bit unfair if the university did hold it against you. I'm English but that doesn't mean that it would be easy for me to get an A* in A Level English.

But the Chinese second language and English A levels are totally different!

OP, I think officially, if you've lived in a country for 3 months or more, then A levels in the official language(s) of that country become much less valued, and at many top universities are not counted. Something like that anyway.

If you're British born or something then I think you'll be fine.

Reply 7

supernova92

14

Which unis are you looking at? All my unis accepted my "native" language a level. Although I have never actually lived there/abroad.
However a friend applied to bath and warwick, and hers wasn't included in the offer.

Reply 8

Domenico7

13

I know some Chinese born students in my year did GCSE or A Level Chinese and got A*'s really easily as it was there 1st language.
To me this is pointless as it looks like you're trying to get qualifications easily to glam your CV up. If it's your 1st language then you do not need a GCSE/A Level in that language to prove yourself. To me it looks a little desperate and like they're looking for an easy quick option to get qualifications.
I'm not being rude but it's pointless and not advanced enough to challenge you.

Reply 9

Domenico7

13

Original post by jamiepango

What is your first language? Where you born here?

I am a British born Chinese and I took my Cantonese A2 exam this year; however I'm applying to university for 2012 entry so I don't think it will be included in my offer anyway...

Why would it not count? Unless they want all the A Levels in 1 sitting . .
What was the exam like? Was it like English Language where it challenges people in their 1st language or was it like French where it's people learning the language and it's very much expanding vocabulary etc?

Reply 10

bluesky42

9

Well chances are, depending on your course you'll have an offer that specifies grades in one or two of your subjects, then they won't care about the other one as long as the grade meets the requirement.

As in with AAB they might say A in Maths and Physics and B in a third A level, so if you get A*AB in Mandarin, Maths and Physics (in that order) they'll reject you.

I'm pretty sure Mandarin A level is like French A level rather than English, because A levels are a British qualification.

Reply 11

Cee_eye_owen_aye

1

It depends on whether it's your first language/ whether you speak it at home or not. Half of my family's Italian, I have a very Italian name, but I did Italian A Level and got an A* which was included in offers because I've always spoken English at home and was literally learning Italian in a classroom like I was with German in school. At one point my headteacher rang my home to clarify that we didn't speak Italian at home, so I'm assuming it was written in my reference that it was a second language - if this is the case for you, you can probably ask your referee to mention it.
If it is your mother tongue, though, most unis won't accept that. Still a good thing to have though.

Reply 12

lisalilsmartass

12

Most universities do not accept GCSE's/ A-levels in your native language.

And I have no idea why people are comparing GCSE/ A-level Chinese to GCSE/ A-level English.

In the UK system as the exam boards assume (which they should) students already have very good proficiency in English, therefore the exams aren't about developing language skills, but studying and analysing texts in it, ideas and theories.

This clearly differs from the exams for foreign languages in the UK which are still about developing speaking and basic language skills. Developing analytical skills in foreign languages in the UK only really starts at University level, and perhaps to an extent latter A-level level. I mean the English system doesn't expect English natives to understand enjambment, metaphors, onomatopoeia and figurative language in the foreign language curriculum, lets say French, do they?!

For people to compare GCSE/ A-level English to the exams in a foreign language, would be to say, effectively, that we in the UK, as native English speakers study the same type of English for our curriculum as those studying English for their exams in countries were it is not assumed to be their first language for example, France or Germany, which is of course ridiculous.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 13

QuirkyDoDo

Original post by HurricaneDominic

A Level English Language is about things like 'reports' and 'theory' for instance - it's building upon a language that you are fluent and capable in.
Where as A Level French is very much still about learning the Language, it's 2nd language.

So if someone who learns 2nd language Chinese, who speaks it as a 1st language is wrong. It's like me going to France and learning 2nd language English and getting an A* when I'm most likely capable of reaching 100%.

The A Level Chinese would only be impressive if it were 1st language, for instance literature or language.

Precisely.

Reply 14

un-jardin-sur-le-nil

12

It doesn't really prove much. I think it depends on the uni but as a native speaker, getting an A* is a given really!

Reply 15

Retrodiction

19

Original post by ellakrystina

I think it'd be a bit unfair if the university did hold it against you. I'm English but that doesn't mean that it would be easy for me to get an A* in A Level English.

English =/= English as a foreign language

Reply 16

tillytots

19

i did a level french and I'm fluent in it and it counted in my offers. Admittedly though I only did it because i lived there for 3 years and not because it's my mouther tongue or a language in my family..

Reply 17

AspiringGenius

15

Original post by ellakrystina

I think it'd be a bit unfair if the university did hold it against you. I'm English but that doesn't mean that it would be easy for me to get an A* in A Level English.

Chinese A Level will be a Modern Foreign Language. Getting an A* in English A level is more difficult than a Chinese person getting an A* in Mandarin A Level.

Reply 18

areyousure?

13

Original post by Aphalleon

I'm Chinese and can speak fluent mandarin and write in Chinese very well. If i get an A* in a-level mandarin, can i used it in my offer or will universities not count it in my offer?

Depends on your uni and the course. I know that for medicine it will no count.

Reply 19

supernova92

14

Original post by jamiepango

Unless I am mistaken, universities make offers on A Levels that you will be taking in your 2nd year. As I would've already achieved a grade in it by the time I apply, it would be excluded from my offer as I still have 3+ A levels to sit.

As regards to the exam, it is very much like french/german exams where it just tests basic knowledge of the language. I think it very much depends on what your first language is, although I think universities-especially the top ones- will ignore this most of the time and just exclude it.

To OP, I think the best option is to email the university in question just to make sure :biggrin:

I took mine in year 11 and it was counted :smile:

so i had one offer which was AAA, but for me it was just AA. However it really does depend on each uni, just because one does, another might not.

If i'm Chinese and get an A* in A-level Mandarin,will it count in my offer?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you